A conventional regulator device, installed in an internal space of a vehicle door, for raising and lowering a door window pane is disclosed in, e.g., Patent Document 1. The regulator device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is of an X-link type which is equipped with a lift arm and an equalizer arm.
The lift arm is formed from a metal plate, and an elongated reinforcing protrusion (rib) which protrudes toward one side of the lift arm is formed at a central portion of the lift arm, in the widthwise direction thereof, by press-forming. In addition, a circular through-hole is formed through a central portion of the elongated reinforcing protrusion in the lengthwise direction thereof, and a ring-shaped flange wall which protrudes in the same protruding direction as the elongated reinforcing protrusion is formed on the circumferential edge of the through hole. The lift arm is connected at one end thereof to the lower end of a door window pane to be slidable in the forward/rearward direction and rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the widthwise direction of the door, and the lift arm is provided at the other end thereof with a driven gear which receives a driving force from a drive source (e.g., a motor) installed in the door.
On the other hand, the equalizer arm is also formed from a metal plate and configured of two arm members which are joined to each other. The lower end of the lower arm, which is one of the two arms of the equalizer arm, is connected to an inner surface of the door to be slidable in the forward/rearward direction and rotatable about an axis parallel to the aforementioned rotational axis. On the other hand, the upper arm, which is the other arm member of the equalizer arm, is positioned on the opposite side of the lift arm from the lower arm, and the upper end of the upper arm is connected to the lower end of the door window pane to be slidable in the forward/rearward direction and rotatable about an axis parallel to the aforementioned rotational axis. In addition, a pivot which projects from the upper end of the lower arm is rotatably fitted into a through-hole of the lift arm, and the lower end of the upper arm is fixed to an end face of the pivot, and accordingly, the equalizer arm, which is composed of the upper arm and the lower arm, and the lift arm are mutually connected at their intermediate portions to be rotatable relative to each other.
Transmission of the driving force of the aforementioned drive source to the drive gear causes the lift arm to rotate, which causes one end of the lift arm to slide while rotating relative to the door window pane, and accordingly, the door window pane moves up or down together with the one end of the lift arm to shut or open the window opening formed in an upper half of the vehicle door. In addition, since the equalizer arm rotates about the intermediate portion (pivot) thereof while sliding relative to both the door window pane and the door following the ascending/descending operation of the door window pane, the upper and lower positions of the upper end of the equalizer arm are the same as those of the one end of the lift arm at all times. Therefore, the door window pane slides in the vertical direction relative to the door without tilting.
Moreover, the lower arm includes an annular projection which is positioned on the outer peripheral side of the pivot and which projects in the same direction as the pivot, and the end face of the aforementioned annular projection is rotatably in contact with a side of the lift arm. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3 in Patent Document 1, an end surface of the flange wall of the lift arm and a side (counter-face surface) of the lower arm are in noncontact with each other (clearance is formed therebetween) at all times, and accordingly, no needless sliding resistance occurs between the lift arm and the lower arm. Accordingly, the lift arm and the equalizer arm rotate smoothly, so that the ascending/descending operation of the door window pane is carried out smoothly.